This Shattered World

Publisher's Summary

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. His sister died in the original uprising against the powerful corporate conglomerate that rules Avon with an iron fist. These corporations make their fortune by terraforming uninhabitable planets across the universe and recruiting colonists to make the planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage against the military occupying his home, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: He returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape base together, caught between two sides in a senseless war.

©2014 Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (P)2014 Listening Library

Great 2nd Book

Firstly, I was a huge fan of These Broken Stars, particularly the amazing audio production. This Shattered World is in the same universe as that book and there is some character overlap/crossover, but TSW could also stand alone.

What I like most about this series is that it takes a fairly classic theme/setup, but before it can feel cliche, the story goes way out there. The basic premise is rebel leader and soldier falling in love and trying to stop the fighting, but it is also way more than that. I won't give specifics as to how it changes as that would be spoilery.

In comparison to These Broken Stars, I think that they are equally good stories but the overall production of TBS is more impressive than TSW. This Shattered World has great narrator performances and very cool sound effects, but These Broken Stars was so phenomenal with their interview segments, voice talent, and sound fx that it's a tough act to follow.

All in all, a great audiobook in its own right and a very satisfying follow-up for fans of TBS. I highly recommend it.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

I Highly Recommend This Book

Much like the first book of this series, I was instantly drawn into the story. Again you are transported to a beautifully written Sci-Fi world (set in the same time as the first) with non-stop action and thrills. Although the worlds are similar, the characters, planet and story are very different. Unlike the slow burn of the first book, this one starts out with a bang and never lets up until the end. It was absolutely thrilling. Narration was great too. I can’t wait until the next book by this author.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

As Good As The First

This Shattered World, the second in the Starbound Series, is a solidly written sequel using different characters but in the same spirit as the first book. Drawing heavily upon Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (references abound, from a planet called Avon, to a nickname of Romeo, to the main character being from Verona), our star-crossed lovers are separated by ideologies rather than class.

Story: Jubilee Chase is a captain on a backwater planet, Avon, trying to keep the peace against insurgents. But there are strange going-ons, the terraforming keeps stalling, and the people are starving. When Finn Cormac walks into her bar, "Stone Face Chase" Lee is going to get more than she bargained for as she is drawn into a battle that is far greater than just rebels and military.

Those wondering about the book having different characters from the first need not fret - Lilac and Tarver do show up later, though only in a support capacity. But the anomalies encountered in the first book are expanded upon in This Shattered World as Lee and Finn discover they each have a connection to the inter-dimensional beings.

The tone and storytelling, romance and action, characters and world building remain true from the first book to the second. Lee is tough but flawed and Finn is earnest and strong. The authors cleverly work in the Romeo and Juliet signatures into a sci fi setting - so much so that only the occasional references harken back to Shakespeare.

I really appreciated the diversity in the story - from same sex relationships to a main character part Chinese and whose family want her to maintain the culture. We didn't have a bunch of straight Caucasians running around pretending no other ethnicity or orientation existed.

The only downside for me was the prototypical boring villain and a reliance on the old "Big Misunderstanding" cliche. It's yet another situation where if the characters simply talked instead of answering in riddles, they'd not have had as much difficulty progressing in their relationship or story.

I listened to the Audible version and admittedly was very disappointed by the narration. The voice actors are good but I felt that a planet full of Irish settlers who had proudly held on to their culture would have at least had either accents or more Celtic flavor in the narration. Instead, Finn just sounded like an American guy. As well, the chapter segues were done in a male voice with a bunch of whispering in the background - both were so distracting that I had a hard time concentrating on the metaphors being presented.

In all, great book but only OK narration.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Superb!

Original, fully realized, unique fantasy, free of dragons and wizards. Characters that jump off the page, complex and real with thrilling plots and themes from beginning to the end of this book. Loved it!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Absolutely brilliant.

I loved the first book in the series, adored the second and can't wait to see if there will be a third. This is one of those book series that I don't ever want to come to an end.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

the voices of this audible were easy to listen to

the voices of this audible were easy to listen to. I love how this book was completely different from the first one. But then started to connect and bring back the characters from the first book.

Great sequel!

Even better than the first! Love the way that the two stories interweave without being excessively dependent on each other.

a very good continuation for the first book.

The story is captivating, differing from the first book enough to carry it self, but bringing the needed depth to shine light for the mystery started by the first book.

loved it.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and can't say I was dissapointed by this one. which I wasn't.

Not I loved reading this book while I listened to it. And can't wait for the next one.

quite the page turner!!

Flynn and Jubilee were awesome! Their characters were well drawn out and I felt like I got to know both of them through out the book.
They went through so much, a lot of action, a bit of a love story. So many things in this book will make you laugh at loud or cry and sniffle. I loved how we got to reconnect with the characters from the first book also. See where they are now and how they are doing. Although this is a sequel it could also be a stand alone novel. I can not wait to read the next book to see how it all comes together.
All in all a very interesting book!! loved the suspense!

I am a mother that wishes that books had a rating. so when I can I will give my opinion on what this would be rated if it were a movie. I think this book was really clean. no foul language and no intense love scene. the fighting did get a bit gory so perhaps a PG13 rating due to that. hope this is helpful.